Now in its fourth season, the critically acclaimed “Breaking Bad” is about as much a cultural signifier of New Mexico—and Albuquerque in particular—as green chile and sunshine. But sunny the show's theme and direction are not.

Bryan Cranston, creator Vince Gilligan and cast members weighed in on the show’s theme, locality and the role of politics in the film industry.

Bryan Cranston on seeing red, going black and being a chameleon

By Sam Adams

He's won three consecutive Emmys for his leading role on AMC's "Breaking Bad." Watching him alternate between the feeble, stomped-upon character of Walter White and a meth kingpin persona known as “Heisenberg,” the dramatic range that brought Bryan Cranston such acclaim is clear. “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan calls him the greatest talent he’s ever worked with—“an actor who comes along every hundred years or so.”

The Alibi spoke with Cranston about Albuquerque, getting inside the mind of Walter White and why Michael Jordan should step aside.